The South-West network of Africa’s Women Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP), an organisation committed to dismantling the obstacles faced by women in business was recently launched in Lagos. Yetunde Oladeinde reports.
Female entrepreneurs from different sectors in the society came together recently to talk about their challenges, potentials and how to make use of the opportunities available. This took place at the launch of the South West network of Africa’s Women Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP). The presentation, which took place at Moor House Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos, had representatives of different women groups, local and international organizations and other stakeholders in attendance.
For the national President of the organisation, Hajia Zainab Jaji, a farmer and entrepreneur, the objectives of the association is to dismantle the obstacles to businesses owned by women, as well as eradicate poverty, which has a woman’s face. While stressing that the women should avoid corruption and live above board, Jaji says she is optimistic that things would change positively soon. “The organisation is the initiative of Mrs Hilary Clinton and it aims at supporting economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa. The AWEP initiative further advances the Policy Guidance on Promoting Gender Equality through economic and civic participation in sub-Saharan Africa. “
She adds: “We rise by lifting others and that is why community service is important for all of us. However, working within the AWEP family is to engage other CSO’s and the other agencies that can help you. We are all in it and do not be quiet about what you are doing. I used to be AWEP’s VP for the North East and in each state; we are putting in place coordinators that can work with the grassroots. We have a national executive and the desire is to reach as many women as possible.”
Ora Ataguba, art connoisseur and vice president in charge of AWEP, South-West zone took members, intending members and guests through the programs listed for the year, strengths and opportunities, as well as other potentials that would help make businesses run by these women expand and become profitable in the long run.
AWEP is an outreach; it is an engagement initiative that targets African women entrepreneurs. It promotes business growths and it increases change regionally because people focus on how we trade internationally. It creates a better business environment and empowers female entrepreneurs in their communities. We do three things basically; try to build partnerships, increase the number of women gaining access to finance and help drive the markets. By building capacity, we are working with a lot of agencies. We would be doing a lot of training and exhibitions. We would also be working with individuals who are resource persons. We are part of a coalition of 18 women business NGO’s known as the Association of Nigerian Women Business Networks. So we are going to be taking from each other and giving back to each other.”
Ataguba adds: “We have six geo-political zones and I manage the South West, which consists of six states. The second thing is that we are going to get loans, gets grants and partnerships. It is not just about getting the money; you have to be ready for it. We have in-house gurus who have been consulted for the projects that we are doing. We also have the International Visitor Leadership program (IVLP), where women’s businesses are assessed and they would be taken to the US. Here the women would benefit from the Business exchange platforms and we are partnering with the Ministry of Investment and Trade.”
Issues like problems associated with access to finance were also discussed and the group was partnering with Skye Bank Pearl Initiative to help members with this. Some other organisations like Sterling Partnerships would also be working with AWEP to help members with some of the financial literacy problems that they are usually faced with in the running of their organisation, as well as requirements for accessing credits.
An inspirational documentary on the achievements recorded in the agricultural sector by the former president of the organisation, in the production of starch from cassava was also aired.
Giving a goodwill message, Mrs Omawunmi Gbadamosi, CIPE’s country director, advised the women to be focused, determined and work at their goals. “We support business associations that include women and men. This comes from the nexus that stable democracies and a sound economy. Where the markets are struggling there is no guarantee that that democracy is going to be stable. Statistics has it that the lifespan of a democracy is short, where per capita income is less than a thousand five hundred naira.”
Gbadamosi adds that: “Unfortunately, one of our researchers was in Birnin Kebbi in 1952, Nigeria’s per capita income then was 2,000 dollars between that time and now, we have 54 years. So after 54 intervening years of oil wealth, per capita income today is less than 1,500 naira. So that means that we cannot go to bed with our two eyes closed, thinking that we have a democracy. This democracy is threatened and that is because the market is troubled. What you are doing now is what we need to move forward our fragile democracy.”
Other speakers at the events include Adesuwa Onyenokwe, CEO TW magazine, Mr Adeniji, Director of Commerce with the Lagos State Government, Akinyemi Adeleke who represented Dr Gloria Elemo, the Director General of the Federal Institute of Research (FIRO).
Africa Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP) is an outreach, education, and engagement initiative that targets African women entrepreneurs to promote business growth, increase trade both regionally and to the U.S, markets through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), create better business environments, and empower African women entrepreneurs to become voices of change in their communities.
Globally, women make up 50 percent of the global population, 40 percent of the global workforce, yet only own about 1 percent of the world’s wealth. Given the opportunity, women invest the majority of their income into their families and communities, but unfortunately most women experience unnecessary barriers that limit their ability to fully participate in the economy.
In Africa, women are the backbone of communities and the continent’s greatest potential to unlocking economic growth, as they provide the majority of labour with the least amount of resources. Reductions in the gender gap in education, health, political participation, and economic inclusion will result in an increase in the continent’s economic competitiveness.
Through the African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP), the U.S. Department of State seeks to dismantle the obstacles to business opportunities and economic participation that African women face. Launched in July 2010, the initiative identifies and builds networks of women entrepreneurs across sub-Saharan Africa poised to transform their societies by owning, running, and operating small and medium businesses, and by becoming voices for social advocacy in their communities.
